Demolition Begins On House Washed Into Barnegat Bay By Superstorm Sandy

By Pat Ciarrocchi

MANTOLOKING, N.J. (CBS) Before Superstorm Sandy roared ashore on October 29, 2012, a two-story, cedar shake house owned by the same family for decades had a perfect view of Barnegat Bay in Mantoloking.

When the wind and rain stopped, that house was 200 feet from its foundation, and in the middle of the bay.

Today, demolition began on the home thats become an iconic reminder of the devastating storm.

With that, government leaders gathered at a shoreline news conference to recommit to getting the debris out of the water, so the summer season can be safe on the waterways and on the beaches.

Phase two of the recovery of the state is now underway. We are now rebuilding for the long term, said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner, Bob Martin.

The financial commitment is over a billion dollars just to rebuild the coastline.

When Sandy made landfall with such ferocity, Mantoloking was the leading edge of destruction.

About 60 homes were pulled into the storm surge. When you look at the outline of foundations and yards, neighborhoods look more like skeletons of shore life from last summer.

Its just a bummer, said Martha Graff, who grew up next to the house now in the water. [Theres] nothing that anybody could have done. The storm came through and [theres] nothing that anybody could have done.

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Demolition Begins On House Washed Into Barnegat Bay By Superstorm Sandy